Nonwoven materials possess properties that make them useful in many roles previously played by cloth. However, nonwoven materials could better serve a wider range of applications if it were possible to soften the nonwoven material without weakening the material to an unacceptable degree. The integrity of nonwoven materials is ordinarily achieved by bonds established between the discrete fibers of the material. Generally these bonds are not substantially free to slide or yield to pressures. The result is that nonwoven materials often exhibit a stiffness and lack of flexibility that is distinctly different from the drape exhibited by woven materials wherein the fibers are mechanically woven together and are therefore free to slide along each other at a substantial number of their contact points. In addition, nonwovens often lack sufficient nap to improve perceived softness.
Therefore there is a need to improve the drape and perceived softness of nonwovens for certain uses, particularly for uses where the nonwoven material contacts the skin, such as use in diaper liners.